Writing Workshops

This Is Crónica with Javier Sinay

$175

2 sessions

In stock

Saturday & Sunday 3:00 pm EDT - 6:00 pm EDT October 25 to October 26, 2025

The Center for Fiction

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The crónica has become the great genre of literary journalism in Latin America. Diverse and broadly free, it is an informative piece that uses the resources and techniques of fiction. In English, it is perhaps more commonly known as narrative journalism, literary journalism, or, simply, creative nonfiction. However, crónica is something bigger: it conveys the facts, but is also about the person who tells the story. Narrative journalism, memoir, and essay come together in a single work. In this workshop, you will learn why crónica can be emotional, resilient, empathic, and also political—and write your own.

Journalists, memoirists, and lovers of Latin American literature are all welcome. We will read some of the best crónicas (translated from Spanish and provided by the instructor): Rodolfo Walsh’s “Operation Massacre,” Martín Caparrós’s “Hunger,” Leila Guerriero’s “The Trace in the Bones,” Gabriela Wiener’s “Sexographies,” Óscar Martínez’s “The Hollywood Kid,” Joseph Zárate’s “An Ounce of Gold and Máxima Acuña Atalaya,” and more.

Course Outline:

Day 1
- Defining the crónica from the 19th century to today
- Calibrating your point of view as a cronista. How to recognize a good crónica in the chaos of reality—and make the most of it.
- Finding the right tone for your crónica
- Constructing scenes through experiences, details, and hinge moments
Day 2
- Writing about reality in a hybrid, sincere way, without being trite
- Developing your narrative voice
- Ending the crónica a general view

Teaching Style: Workshops, for me, are spaces for learning, exchange and conversation. When I teach I always have my notes and my slides with texts, images and videos, and I really enjoy when students ask questions, suggest things and tell their own stories. I believe a writing class can transform you when it leads you to think outside the box.

Level: All Levels

This course will be held in person at The Center for Fiction.

Led by

Javier Sinay

Javier Sinay

Javier Sinay is an author and a journalist. His books include The Murders of Moises Ville, Después de las 09:53 and Sangre joven, which won the Rodolfo Walsh Award at Semana Negra in Gijón, Spain. In 2015 he won the award of Fundación Gabo for his story “Fast. Furious. Dead,” published in Rolling Stone. He has been leading workshops at The Center For Fiction since 2023. He lives in Buenos Aires.

Photo Credit: Vera Rosemberg

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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